Invasion of Solidago canadensis is causing biotic homogenization in China
Guo Qi CHEN1, Chao Bin ZHANG1, Ling MA1, Sheng QIANG1, John A. SILANDER2 & Li Li QI3
1 Weed Research Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
2 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
3 Northern Crop Science Laboratory, USDA-ARS, North Dakota, USA
Serious invasive species may directly and quickly cause biotic homogenization.
Here we quantitatively compared the communities invaded by Solidago canadensis
(SC) with the control sites adjacent to these populations but without it in China
and those with SC native populations in America through field-surveys. We found
that SC invasions cause invaded habitats to share similar plant communities
with those in native ranges which are characterized by SC being dominant,
significantly lower species richness and alfa- and beta- diversity, as well as a decrease
in correlations between geographic distance and floristic similarities. Analyses on
Bray-Curtis similarity (based on species abundance) suggests the sites with SC
invasive populations clustered together with those with native SC populations but
not with adjacent control sites. While the Jaccard similarity (based on species
list) suggest there is no common co-prosperous plant invader in the communities
with SC invasive populations. Although SC favors fertile loam soil conditions, it
homogenizes various habitats with large populations.
© 2012 Organizing Committee
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